Strainer.



W. L. REED.

V STRAINER. 'AIPLIUATION FILED DBO. 9, i909.

Patented Feb. 7, 1911.

UNTTED STATES PATENT orrron. Z

WILLIAM L. REED, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

STRAIN ER.

Patented Feb. *7, 1911. Serial No. 532,255.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM L. REED, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inStrainers, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to strainers, such as are used in connection withsinks, bath tubs, basins, bath trays, and such structures as areprovided with a water outlet.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a strainer which canbe advantageously used with high-grade sinks or tubs which are coveredwith vitreous enamel, the strainer being so mounted with respect to theoutlet opening in the sink or tub, as to be entirely free fromengagement with the enameled surface of the sink or tub whereby toreduce to a minimum, the danger of the enamel being cracked or crazed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel strainer that canbe easily and quickly secured in position without injuring the edges ofthe sink bordering upon the strainer.

A further object of the invention is to eliminate the sharp edges of asink that generally border upon the water outlet thereof, these edgesbeing susceptible to breakage and when broken marring the generalappearance of the sink.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of positiveand reliable means for detachably mounting a strainer in the outletopening of a sink, bath tub or other structure.

A still further object of the invention is to accomplish the aboveresults by a strainer that is simple in construction, inexpensive tomanufacture, easily placed in position and highly efficient for thepurposes for which it is intended.

With these and such other objects in view as may hereinafter appear, theinvention consists of the novel construction, combination andarrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and thenclaimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing forming a part of thisspecification, where in there is illustrated the preferred embodi mentsof the invention; but it is to be unof can be varied or changed, as tothe size, shape and manner of assen'iblage, without departing from thescope of the appended claims.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a sectional view of a portion of a sinkprovided with my improved strainer, Fig. 2 is a plan of a blank fromwhich the strainer is made, Fig. 3 is a plan of a coupling piece.

In the accompanying drawing the reference numeral 1 denotes a portion ofa sink having a circular opening 2 and depending from said opening arethe side walls of a sleeve 3, which is formed integral with ordetachably connected to the sink, the juncture of the sleeve with thesink being rounded, as at 4. The lower edges of the sleeve 3 areprovided with an inwardly projecting annular flange 5, the purpose ofwhich willhereinafter appear.

My improved strainer which is mounted within the opening 2 and thesleeve 3 is cut. and stamped from sheet metal to form a blank comprisinga body portion 6 having a plurality of radially disposed V-shaped arms7. These arms are adapted to be bent downwardly at right angles to thebody 6 to support the body flush with the inner surface of the sink 1,the arms resting upon the flange 5, as clearly shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawing. The body 6 is provided with a plurality of perforations oropenings 8 and with a central opening 9 adapted to receive a screw 10.The screw 10 is adapted to screw into the upper end of a centralvertical post 11 carried by a spider 12 formed in the upper flanged end13 of a coupling piece 14. The coupling piece 1st is eXteriorly screwthreaded, as at 15 to receive a jam-nut 16 for holding the couplingpiece 14 in engagement with the flanged end 5 of the sleeve 3.

The strainer is made of malleable metal and the arms 7 are adapted to bebent to frictionally engage the inner walls of the sleeve 3. These armscan be employed for holding the strainer in lieu of the post 11 and thescrew 10, and the arms 7 can be dispensed with and the screw 10 and thepost 11 entirely depended upon for holding the body 6 of the strainer.

It has been the present practice to construct sinks or bath tubs withoutlet openings having the upper edges thereof surrounded by an annularshoulder or ledge derstood that the structural elements there- I l asleeve integral with and depending from the bottom and communicatingwith said opening, said sleeve provided at its lower end with aninwardly-extending supporting flange, of a coupling having an annularflange engaging the supporting flange of the sleeve, a strainercomprising a perforated strainer plate provided with integral dependingsupporting members atthe periphery thereof, said members engaging saidsupporting flange at one side of the flange of the coupling, and saidstrainer plate having its edge rounded away from the wall of saidopening whereby the strainer plate will be permanently out of contactwith the bottom of the sink.

l. The combination with a sink having its bottom provided with an outletopening, a sleeve integral with and the bottom and communicating withsaid opening, said sleeve provided at its lower end with aninwardly-extending supporting flange, of a coupling having an annularflange engaging the supporting flange of the sleeve, a strainercomprising a perforated strainer plate provided with integral dependingsupporting members at the periphery thereof, said members engaging saidsupporting flange at'one side of of the coupling, and said strainerplate having its edge rounded away from the wall of said opening wherebythe strainer plate will be permanently out of contact with the bottom ofthe sink, and a guard carried by said coupling.

5. The combination with a sink having its bottom provided with an outletopening, a sleeve integral with and depending from the bottom andcommunicating with said openi11 said sleeve provided at its lower endwith an inwardly extending supporting upon which a strainer plate can bemounted and secured. It is in the provision of the annular shoulder orledge that sharp edges or corners are provided, which are not onlydiflicult to enamel, but project to that eX- tent as to allow the edgesto be cracked and injured, particularly by the pressure of the strainerupon the same, thereby impairing the appearance of the enamel structurebesides providing recesses or pockets in which filth and foreign mattercan easily accumulate. It is these sharp edges and corners that myinvention aims to eliminate and to use other means for supporting astrainer, the means employed being practically independent of the sinkor bath tub structure.

The term sink has been generally used herein for the sake of briefness,it being understood that such term is used in a broad sense, descriptiveof all tub-like vessels having an outlet opening.

Having now described my invention what I claim as new, is

1. The combination with a sink provided with an outlet opening andhaving a depending sleeve provided at its lower endwith aninwardly-extending annular supporting-flange, of a coupling sleevehaving an annular flange engaging the supporting flange of the sleeve, aspider constituting a guide and carried by said coupling, a strainersupported by the flange of the clepending sleeve and wholly free fromand out of contact with the sink bottom, and a post carried by thespider and connected to the strainer whereby the strainer is supportedcentrally and connected to the coupling.

2. The combination with a sink having its bottom provided with an outletopening, a sleeve depending from the bottom of the sink and registeringwith the opening and provided at its lower end with an inwardlyflange,of a coupling having an annular extending annular supporting flange, theflange engaging the supporting flange point of unction between saldsleeve and of the sleeve, a strainer comprising a perforated strainerplate provided with integral depending supporting members at theperiphery thereof, said members engaging said supporting flange at oneside of of a coupling having an annular flange engaging the supportingflange of the sleeve, a spider carried by said coupling and constitutinga guard, a strainer comprising a perforated strainer plate pro videdwith integral depending supporting members at the periphery thereof,said members engaging said supporting flange to one side of the flangeof the coupling, the points of junction between the said members and theplates being rounded in an opposite direction with respect to saidflaring portion of the sleeve and bottom whereby the strainer plate willbe permanently out of contact with the bottom, and a post carried by thespider and connected with the strainer plate and constituting means forsupporting the central portion of the plate and further connecting theplate to the coupling.

3. The combination with a sink having its bottom provided with an outletopening,

said bottom flaring,

lVILLIAM L. REED.

lVitnesses:

KARL H. BUTLER, Trros. A. MCINERNEY.

depending from the flange of the coupling, and said strainer the flangei

